Tax info

[Ohioref3]

I was getting ready to do my taxes and was wondering what kind of writoffs I could take for my officiating. I do get a w2 in the mail and know that if you are self employed as an official that we can have some deductions and was wondering exactly what deductions I am entitled to.

[ljudge]

One thing I'm sure of....If you're a member of NASO that's fully deductible. It says that right on the invoice you receive.

[WhistlesAndStripes]

Originally Posted by Ohioref3

I was getting ready to do my taxes and was wondering what kind of writoffs I could take for my officiating. I do get a w2 in the mail and know that if you are self employed as an official that we can have some deductions and was wondering exactly what deductions I am entitled to.

Did you get a W-2, or was it actually a 1099?

[TXMike]

It is a business. You can deduct lots of stuff, i.e. mileage, meals, uniforms, clinic fees, training materials, etc etc etc. NASO does have a booklet on taxes for officials.

[jrfath]

Also laundry, automobile depreciation. I believe it all goes in the Schedule C. If you use Tax Cut or something similar, answer all the questions about running your own business.

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by jrfath

Also laundry, automobile depreciation. I believe it all goes in the Schedule C. If you use Tax Cut or something similar, answer all the questions about running your own business.

That's a slippery slope you're going down.

Do you do laundry at your house on a regular basis? I would think so. Therefore, you can't deduct the cost of laundry detergent, water and a washing machine, just because you wash your uniforms a couple of times a week.

To deduct automotive expenses, the vehicle must be used solely for said purpose. Do you use the vehicle for any other purpose? You can't even go to the store to buy a gallon of milk.

[kentref]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

That's a slippery slope you're going down.

Do you do laundry at your house on a regular basis? I would think so. Therefore, you can't deduct the cost of laundry detergent, water and a washing machine, just because you wash your uniforms a couple of times a week.

To deduct automotive expenses, the vehicle must be used solely for said purpose. Do you use the vehicle for any other purpose? You can't even go to the store to buy a gallon of milk.

Agreed.
I've never claimed auto expenses but I do claim a number of other expenses. A tax prep program like 'Turbo Tax' makes it pretty simple because it prompts you for the info. I keep track of my expenses throughout the year on a spreadsheet that is organized by the expense types in 'Turbo Tax' so all I need to do is plug in totals (into Turbo Tax) for a given expense type. It works well for me.

[wisref2]

Originally Posted by BktBallRef

That's a slippery slope you're going down.

Do you do laundry at your house on a regular basis? I would think so. Therefore, you can't deduct the cost of laundry detergent, water and a washing machine, just because you wash your uniforms a couple of times a week.

To deduct automotive expenses, the vehicle must be used solely for said purpose. Do you use the vehicle for any other purpose? You can't even go to the store to buy a gallon of milk.

As far as car expenses, you can deduct mileage if you do it properly. You don't have to use the car 100% for officiating. You do have to keep track of your mileage and there are some expenses you can write off that are prorated based on the percentage of business use. A good tax software makes it pretty easy.